We Can Work It Out! Claire & Agni's Block Battles

These two can take the hard knocks

It's not usually a location that sparks feelings of romance and excitement, but for The Block NZ contestants Claire Rapira and Agni Bhorkar, the gym was the place that ignited their fairytale love story.

“I tricked her into going out with me,” grins Agni, 23, as he gives his girlfriend of almost two years a nudge.

Laughing, personal trainer Claire, 25, explains, “I’d just finished with a client and Agni approached me to say he was setting up his own gym. He wanted to sit down with someone who worked in the gym every day to get some ideas for which equipment he should be getting. I was like, ‘Sure, I’ll have this business meeting with you.’ But it was actually a set-up for a date!”

Since then, the Hamilton lovebirds have gone on to open their own gym and buy their first home together – and now they’re competing on The Block. But despite the fact their relationship is so firmly rooted in fitness, working out and healthy eating have been far from their minds during the hectic filming schedule of the Three reality series.